The three mediums of book, opera and film can convey similar ideas in their works but their characteristics allow for distinct viewer experiences. Such is reflected in the text “Scenes from a Latin Quarter,” the film Rent and the styles of operas in various stages of opera’s development as an art form.
First, there are similar themes in Rent and “Scenes from a Latin Quarter.” First, there is unreciprocated love in the latter as Rodolphe’s love was given but not returned by Mimi. Similarly, in Rent, Joanne and Mimi feel as though their love is not being reciprocated by Maureen and Roger, respectively. Joanne feels like Maureene is not committing to her by flirting with other women in the same way that Rodolphe suspects Mimi’s infidelity. In addition, Mimi feels like Roger does not love her in the same way that Rodolphe realizes he cannot be with Mimi because she doesn’t love him. Second, there is the question of living a life of poverty as opposed to selling out one’s conscience by engaging in commercial art. In “Scenes from a Latin Quarter,” the artists live lives of poverty, with Schaunard unable to pay the rent and many of the artists barely scraping by. This poverty is on some level a conscious choice, undertaken in order to preserve their artistic integrity. For instance, the Water Drinkers are described as a group who pledge to not produce art commercially. Their name alludes to the idea of only drinking water and eating bread. There is a resentment that they feel towards anyone who produces art commercially. For instance, the president of the group, Lazare, condemns one of the members, Jacques, by telling him that he has renounced his artistry by taking on commercial work. This same theme carries over into Rent, where the artists also cannot afford their rent and the guitarist Roger is so economically unproductive that he barely even produces art on an annual basis. The artists in Rent also criticize their old friend Benny for selling out by becoming a landlord and joining forces with his father-in-law, who is a real estate investor. They claim Benny lost his principles and ideals. Just as Jacques is forced into commercial work to support his companion Francine, Mark holds his nose and begins working as a videographer for Buzzline. There is even an entire song in Rent about how in America one has to give up their conscience and people are only “what they own” because artists like Mark and Roger are forced to work in jobs they don’t enjoy rather than pursue their independent creative projects. Thus, Rent and “Scenes from a Latin Quarter” both grapple with whether producing art commercially is ethical and infringes on authenticity. Third, there is the idea of life cut far too short by death which is found in both works. In “Scenes from a Latin Quarter,” Jacques and Francine both tragically die young, and the AIDS crisis is shown to take away beautiful souls like Angel in Rent. Fourth, there are common themes of living in the present and pushing boundaries. These themes are present in “Scenes from a Latin Quarter” but they find explicit mention in Rent. In the former, artists like Schaunard laude the idea of taking pleasure in the moment and trying to enjoy life through eating, drinking and discussing art. Additionally, the mistresses and the promiscuity of the characters in the Latin Quarter were certainly taboo for the text’s time. In Rent, the artists dance on tables in a restaurant as they talk about drugs, dildos and explicitly say they are the vanguard of the “taboo.” Additionally, in the life support circle for those with AIDS, they talk about how they must forget the bad and take comfort in both the present moment and one another. The song between Roger and Mimi similarly asks whether love can wait and if it must happen today or another day. The presence of shared themes makes sense because if one traces the thread of inspiration for Rent one will reach “Scenes from a Latin Quarter.” That is why the scene where Mimi and Roger meet because she needs a light exactly resembles Jacques and Francine’s first encounter.
Nevertheless, there are significant differences in content between the two works. In Rent, there is a broader political message about fighting the exploitative power of the wealthy. There is a protest and riot which breaks out against the landlords, as they are not simply evicting the artists but the whole community who cannot afford to pay their rent. Although Schaunard flouts his rent obligation, he is not a part of a broader social movement which advocates for economic justice and greater power for tenants. In addition, homelessness is displayed more strikingly in the Rent than in “Scenes from a Latin Quarter.” The artists are not the only members of the poor. In fact, one of the impoverished even expresses their disdain for artists who want to document their poverty for material gain. In Rent, homeless people are outside the community center and they appear to live in Maureen’s performing space. Thus, Rent does seem to highlight the social ills facing New York City, aside from the voluntary poverty of its artists. Rent’s emphasis on broader concerns is also conveyed in its treatment of the AIDS crisis. The immense suffering inflicted by AIDS is continually shown in Rent. Thus, Rent communicates political messages about economic inequity, homelessness and public health which are not as explicit as in “Scenes from a Latin Quarter.”
Opera plays a role in this picture. We were not assigned Puccini’s La Bohème. However, opera as a whole does to a larger extent place the viewer’s focus on the singer and music than even a musical movie like Rent. For instance, Baroque operas use ornamentation in which the singer improvises and shows their skills and the Bel Canto opera style in particular highlights the singer’s vocal flexibility, breath control and range. Additionally, an opera has an orchestra which features prominently in the viewing experience. Rent, unlike other films, has singing. However, the viewer finds themselves paying much closer attention to the words which are relating the story’s details rather than the music. On the other hand, operas are often written and performed in foreign languages which make the words themselves, especially for an American viewer, even less important. There are some similarities between opera and film. For instance, the recitative or spoken singing of opera is similar to some of the songs in Rent where the story and dialogue was communicated through song. In both mediums, there is immense emotion conveyed through singing. For instance, the Opera lecture mentioned atonal chords, which have a dissonance that enables the viewer to feel the unrest of the story. The love songs with Collins and Angel and Roger and Mimi towards the end of Rent evoke a powerful sense of intimacy and the feeling of security which comes from being taken care of by another person. Even “Scenes from a Latin Quarter” conveys the power of music because Schaunard describes how he visualizes his music. However, this is where text differs from opera and music. One can’t feel the emotion of music by reading this passage about Schaunard, even though it is perceived. The emotive singing of Pavarotti and Collins conjures up heartbreak in a way one cannot experience by reading about Rodolphe and Mimi. This is because the unique impact of reading comes in giving the reader agency to imagine the story in a way that an Opera or movie like Rent are incapable of due to their visuals. Unlike the passive experience of having emotions evoked, the reader must do more work to find the emotion in the text itself. In this way, reading a book is far more of an intellectual experience. One cannot be swept away into feelings by a dramatic aria or well-constructed montage. In “Scenes from a Latin Quarter,” only one who imagines the pain undergone by Jacques and Rodolphe as they mourn their lost loves could be moved by the text’s descriptions.
Lastly, there are scenes in Rent which could not be executed as seamlessly in a book or opera. First, a flashback or fantasy with dramatic visuals where the viewer is brought back and forth between the present and the imagination can only be effectively done in a film. One example of this is the scene where Mark imagines he is dancing the tango in a suit with a crowd of professionals. One could describe that scene in a book but the words would not create as harsh of a sudden visual contrast between the real world and the vision. Additionally, in an opera it would be logistically impossible to shift back and forth as quickly as is necessary to mimic what should be a short transition between a dreamlike state and reality. A second scene in Rent which could not be replicated in the other mediums is the song in the balcony and the street where the camera pans back and forth between the two groups or individuals singing. The antagonism between the characters is intensified by the camera’s alternative spotlighting of each at increasing frequency. That camera work cannot be mimicked in a book or opera because it provides an intense visual focus on each actor. There was also uniquely film-oriented camera work in the scenes where the characters danced on the table in the restaurant. The multiple angles added to the chaos of the scene. A third relevant scene is the montage with the victims of AIDS disappearing as they die and the flashes to Angel in the hospital as her condition gradually worsens. The way in which a montage can combine images to create an emotional effect and convey the passage of time all at once is brilliant. A book or opera could never do the same. Thus, there are types of film scenes which cannot be replicated by the other mediums.
All in all, Rent’s inspiration from “Scenes from a Latin Quarter” is clear in its themes, such as the tragedy of unreciprocated love and youthful death. Nevertheless, Rent’s messages extend to broader political calls to action to address economic and social problems. As far as mediums in general, opera focuses the viewer on the music, while still conveying emotion in a manner similar to film. In contrast, books place responsibility on the reader to seek emotion within the story itself. Lastly, there are film techniques, such as those employed in flashbacks and montages, whose visuals have distinctive emotional impacts on the viewer. These three mediums have persisted because they each awaken a separate part of the human senses. Whether it is the intellect in reading, the use of sound in opera or the visual in film, these mediums activate the human soul.

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